A number of safety devices for use in vehicles to protect vehicle occupants in the event of a collision are known and well documented in prior art. However, it has only been in recent years that airbags have actually been used as a protection device in automobiles.
Airbags must be inflated within a few fractions of a second of the initial impact in order to be effective. However, a disadvantage of the airbag system is that during inflation, the airbag often hits the face of the occupant causing injury.
Another disadvantage is that airbags are usually triggered by a pre-set collision speed and do not protect the occupant from collision at lower speeds of impact which can still cause serious injury and discomfort.
Still further, airbags are not readily reusable and must be replaced by experts in the field of airbags. In addition, typical airbags are generally factory items which are installed at the point of manufacture and are typically not an "add-on" feature.
Also, airbags are generally a shape that when deployed, only protect the front and not the sides of the occupant.